By: Dennis BickersMuch of what churches do today often receives little notice because they've offered the same programs at the same times in the same ways as other churches. To help your church stand out, you need a purple cow.

By: Dennis BickersBivocational ministry is a calling from God just the same as the call to fully funded ministry. For churches making the transition from a full-time pastor to a bivocational one, here are 5 challenges to keep in mind.

By: Dennis BickersWhen churches face change, a leader can't make the mistake of a lack of communication. During change, communication is crucial. Most people in church will do the right thing when they have the right information.

By: Dennis BickersWith the viral popularity of fake news sites, people are inundated everyday with false, misleading and negative information. When they come to church, they need to hear a message filled with truth and hope.

By: Dennis BickersPastor shortages will get worse before they get better. We have fewer pastors than we have churches, and nothing on the horizon will change this. Here are 7 options to help your church survive the shortage.

By: Dennis BickersMany pastors must report on the number of visits they make and committee meetings they attend. But to stay grounded, pastors must focus on the invisibles: prayer, Scripture reading and spiritual direction.

By: Dennis BickersIf you want to reach young adults, you won't do it by mailing them your monthly newsletter. That may have worked years ago, but churches must change their communication strategies to reflect the times.

By: Dennis BickersThis election season features an increased lack of civility, and too many Christians are guilty of ugly and crass comments. We should treat each other with respect despite our political differences.

By: Dennis BickersPastor shortages will get worse before they get better. We have fewer pastors than we have churches, and nothing on the horizon will change this. Here are 7 options to help your church survive the shortage.

By: Dennis BickersThe racial problems in America are not going away in the near future. It's time for churches and individuals to intentionally work toward understanding one another and developing relationships.

By: Dennis Bickers Churches are in transition, similar to a trapeze artist who has let go of one swing and is suspended midair while the next swing approaches. Here are 7 changes the approaching future holds.

By: Dennis Bickers Millennials will soon begin to step into leadership roles in every organization including churches. But they won't be content to manage like current leadership. They want to lead and make a difference.

By: Dennis BickersSome churches consider churches from other denominations as competitors. Instead of trying to build up our individual churches, let's unite with others as colleagues on mission with God.

By: Dennis BickersMost churches have no idea what their financial future looks like. Those who do pretend it won't happen to them. Here are five steps your church should take now to secure its future finances.

By: Dennis BickersFinding qualified persons for smaller churches is often a struggle. Unfortunately, many pastors refuse to serve smaller churches. For many of these churches, the answer may be sitting in their pews.

By: Dennis BickersRegardless of your feelings for President George W. Bush, his book, "Decision Points," highlights his thinking of some of the decisions in office. It's a good lesson for pastors who have to make tough decisions.

By: Dennis BickersMost churches have no sense of a clear vision for ministry. And those that do typically have a vision that's so fuzzy or generic that it's unhelpful. Start the new year right with a clear vision.

By: Dennis BickersIf the need for bivocational ministers in our denominations will increase over the next several years, we must seek ways to identify and train those persons who have been called to such ministry.

By: Dennis BickersMany ministers start their ministry burdened by student debt while earning barely enough to make minimum payments on that debt. The difficult answer is to pay off that debt as soon as possible.

By: Dennis BickersNothing's wrong with a church having money in savings. When that church has large sums of money it never intends to use for any purpose other than ensuring its own existence, then there's a problem.

By: Dennis BickersMost church members are very content with the status quo and resistant to change. If you want change in your church, you need to identify the ones that want change and groom them for leadership.

By: Dennis BickersSome congregations spend too much time looking for persons with degrees and formal education. The next pastor or staff member of your small church may be already sitting in your pews.

By: Dennis BickersPastors and churches should use social media to connect with their congregation and the communities they serve. However, they need to recognize and avoid the dangers with using social media.

By: Dennis BickersChurch leaders sometimes keep secrets from congregations, often thinking they are protecting the church. When those secrets are exposed, trust is broken. Here's how to rebuild that trust.

By: Dennis BickersNBC's Brian Williams' situation offers an important reminder: To be successful in leadership, you must earn the trust of those you serve. Without credibility, you can't earn that trust.

By: Dennis BickersIt's becoming increasingly difficult for smaller churches to find pastors. Here are six realities that your church will have to keep in mind when your search committee begins its work. Don't neglect Number 5.

By: Dennis BickersMany bivocational pastors feel neglected by their denominations, even though these churches are an ever-growing part of every denomination. Here are three ways to better engage bivocational churches.

By: Dennis BickersDenominations are going to have to make some major changes if they want to have a future. The ones paying attention to bivocational churches, which make up at least a third of their members, will succeed.

By: Dennis BickersSome churches may be smaller in size and rely on bivocational leadership, but that doesn't mean they're not effective. Here are some smaller churches that intentionally serve their communities.

By: EthicsDaily StaffDennis Bickers, an EthicsDaily.com columnist, is a resource minister with the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky. Find out if this public speaker is an introvert or extrovert.

By: Dennis BickersTransitioning from being a fully funded pastor to a bivocational one is never easy, but it will give you opportunities to meet new people and minister to them in ways that serving in a church will not.

By: Dennis BickersYou might be surprised to find how many people in your church are struggling with depression and are afraid to say anything for fear of being judged. Churches need to be part of the solution.

By: Dennis BickersWhen smaller churches search for a new pastor, they often want to fill the void as quickly as possible. They're better off without a pastor for a longer time than to call the wrong person.

By: Dennis BickersMost churches are either declining or plateaued and need to be revitalized. However, church revitalization requires a willingness to change, and change does not come easy for many churches.

By: Dennis BickersMinisters are called to the greatest opportunity that exists, but that doesn't mean the work comes without challenges. Here's how you can transform those challenges into joyful opportunities.

By: Dennis BickersNothing good can happen in organizations without effective leaders. For churches to enjoy an effective ministry over years, future leaders must be filling its pipeline in various stages of development.

By: Dennis BickersIf they want to successfully impact a changing world for Jesus Christ, pastors and churches must continually reinvent themselves. Churches will either continue to reinvent themselves or they will die.

By: Dennis BickersMany denominations are focusing on large urban areas to reach the largest number of people. While this strategy makes sense, they can't follow it at the expense of smaller, rural churches.

By: Dennis BickersMany smaller churches feel they must compete with larger ones. Churches, however, are not called to duplicate the ministries of others, but to focus on the unique vision God has for them.

By: Dennis BickersWhen searching for a new pastor, many churches automatically exclude older candidates. It's a huge mistake to believe that all older pastors cannot effectively lead a church in today's society.